Visiting Professor, Department of War Studies, King's College, London
Tim Willasey-Wilsey is a Visiting Professor of War Studies at King's College, London. As a former British diplomat for 27 years he served mainly in Southern Africa, Central America and South Asia. In addition to a posting in Islamabad, Pakistan Tim was a frequent visitor to India, Afghanistan and North East Asia as a Director in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Since leaving government service he has been advising British companies on international affairs and government relations. He is an elected member of the Council at Chatham House (the Royal Institute of International Affairs). Tim writes and lectures on a wide range of subjects including South Asia, Liberation Movements and Insurgency, Terrorism, and Conflict Resolution. He has an MA (First Class) in Modern History from St Andrews University in Scotland.
Expertise
Afghanistan, Indo-Pakistan relations, Pakistan, Insurgency and Terrorism, Asia Pacific Security, Conflict Resolution
South Africa has just celebrated the 30th anniversary of its epic elections in 1994 which marked the end of apartheid rule. President de Klerk and Nelson Mandela avoided the expected bloodbath but, since then, the ruling African National Congress has not done well. Because the very qualities which make insurgent groups and liberation movements successful, are not the ones that make effective national governments.
Tilak Devasher's book The Pashtuns: A Contested History delves into the Pashtun tribe, highlighting its geopolitical significance and far-reaching consequences in the South Asian region. Reviewer Tim Willasey-Wilsey says the book brilliantly explains how the Pashtuns were strong-armed into joining Pakistan and why the prospect of Pashtun unity poses a threat to security in Pakistan and the entire region.
The rise of India’s software services industry has been oft-told. In this book, the author, one of the principal players of the industry, tells the story from the inside, of how Indian IT is leading to Indians aspiring to be first class citizens in a first class country run by a first class administration.
The Taliban’s rapid advance towards Kabul shows clear signs of learning from previous failures. The chances of a revival of the old Northern Alliance are minimal. Regional powers are left with the option of maintaining diplomatic contact with the Taliban whilst not taking any assurances on trust.
The Taliban should have been reintegrated into Afghan society several years ago. It is now probably too late to persuade them to accept anything less than a dominant role in Kabul. However, Turkey, Pakistan and the United States may have one last chance to pressure the antagonists into a negotiated settlement, perhaps along the following lines.
U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden has an ancestral connect with India, as does his vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris, both tracing it back to Chennai, then Madras. During the 19th century, brothers Christopher and William Biden worked for the East India company, taking the rather arduous ship route between London and India. While William died at an early age, Christopher went on to Captain several ships during his service and eventually settled down to a prosperous life in Madras.
Pakistan’s recent claims on Junagadh is a response to its frustration that the big powers and Islamic world have failed to respond to India’s unilateral action in revoking Article 370 and incorporating Ladakh and Kashmir under New Delhi’s federal control. But the continuing claim is only damaging to Pakistan’s cause.
A pandemic tests governments' performance against four policy dilemmas; from preventing panic and economic collapse to calibrating the severity of response and controlling the narrative. The writer harks back to the agonies of the Bombay plague of 1896 and the dilemmas left unresolved
The signing of an agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban on February 29 may result in the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which is contingent upon the Taliban’s adherence to certain conditions. The end of the West’s 19-year-long Afghan campaign – if Pakistan does not turn spoiler – is of vital interest to India
Gwadar has lain in relative obscurity since 1958 when Oman sold it to Pakistan. It was only 50 years later that the Chinese ‘rediscovered’ it. Pakistan and China have much to learn from the British experience of this strategic asset
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Courtesy: HarperCollins Publishers India
Courtesy: Harper Collins
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Courtesy: Tim Willasey-Wilsey
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Courtesy: pakchina.pk